First I want to thank Both ALEX and MUFFY for their input and help in reading this and offering suggestions.... hope the rest of you enjoy it as well ....
It was the perfect night for the Masqued-Ball, the moon shone high above the castle walls, and the local ravens took flight into the darkness beyond as if on cue from a movie scene. Artemus would be wearing the same masque and long white gown as all the other female guests.
Andre would have a difficult time trying to find her amongst them, but then she had not wanted it to be too easy. She walked across the top of the castle in contemplation of the night ahead; with only the gargoyles for company, she stood there watching darkness engulf her.
Securing her masque, Artemus once again entered the castle. She could hear the faint sounds of the orchestra tuning and the murmuring of the guests voices in the grand ballroom several floors below her. Taking her time, she descended the old steep and narrow stone steps. She thought of Andre and how she longed for his touch. He had joked earlier in the week about how the night of the Masqued-Ball would be a night that neither of them would soon forget.
Artemus had no idea what he had meant. She only thought that he wanted her as much as she him and that they would consummate their desire for one another on this auspicious evening: an evening that celebrated her twenty-fifth birthday and her access to the families fortune.
She entered the Grand-Ballroom half expecting to see him standing there, thinking he would know her simply by the feeling of her presence. The orchestra leader came to her for permission to begin playing, which she granted. A waltz began to play and the myriad of party goers paired off for the first dance of the night.
Suddenly a voice she did not recognize, in a hushed tone from behind her whispered “May I have this Dance?” Artemus turned to face him. “Why, yes of course. Have we met?” she inquired.
But the stranger simply offered her his hand and gently led her to the dance floor. Gracefully they moved together in and around the other couples bending, twirling and gliding along until the music came to a stop, and he bowed to her lightly kissing the soft bend of her fingers.
“Thank you for the dance Artemus, Maybe you will grace my arms again before the evening has come to a close” then walked away before she had the chance to answer him.
Artemus tried to follow, but he was quickly lost in the crowd; all the gentlemen in black tuxedos and ladies in white long gowns with the masks of mimes on all.
This was her party, she had hand-picked each guest, but she could not place this charming stranger, his voice a haunting lilt caressing her mind. She began to wonder where Andre was and why he had not made an attempt to seek her out. Hours passed, yet no sign of him. Artemus was sure she would know him, his beautiful muscular frame, his charming Irish accent. How could she not know her love?
The orchestra began another waltz, from behind her Artemus felt someone reach his arm around her small frame pulling her backward into his embrace, whispering softly.
“Artemus, come, I have waited long for this moment with you.”
She tried to face him he held her firmly against him turning them both and walking out of the main ball room to the private balcony above the main floor. She stepped in unison with the stranger, still unsure of whom she entertained, the charming gentleman from the first dance, Andre, were they one and the same? Then he turned her in his embrace and began to dance to the music from the main room. His masque completely concealed his features.
The clock began to strike the midnight hour, she looked at him.
“Andre, is that you my love? Of course it is; you have done well in keeping your identity from me this evening; it is midnight remove your mask and let me see you. I long to kiss your lips, and gaze into those languid blue pools. You promised me a night we’d not soon forget, do you remember my love?”
The stranger held fast to her waist, never speaking, just floating to the music. As the song came to its close dipping her backward, he removed her masque, letting it fall to the floor behind her. She reached for his; he quickly grasped her hand stopping her from removing it.
“Ah, my dear Artemus, not so fast, patience in all things.”
Then she watched as he removed a beautiful piece of silken cloth from his pocket, speaking in barely a whisper as she watched him.
“You must trust me Artemus, can you do that?” he asked in a sultry and mysterious way.
Before she could answer he reached up securing the silk cloth firmly around her eyes, then removing his own masque, he leaned in, this time kissing her exposed throat, trailing his kisses down toward the rise and fall of her breast.
Artemus breath hitched, she reached for him, and he took her hands holding both behind her back firmly, as he continued to kiss the hollow of her throat. The stranger reached into his breast pocket withdrawing yet another piece of silk, using it to bind her hands behind her.
Loosening the strap around her neck, he watched as her dress fell to her waist, exposing her delicate breasts, sensual pink nipples and taking each one into his mouth suckling, teasing her with his warm moist tongue on her flesh.
Capturing her mouth in a passionate kiss, he unzipped the rest of her dress, allowing it to pool gently around her ankles; he backed away slightly, to admire the vision before him. The stranger watched her, totally exposed to him, wearing only her white lace panties and heels.
An arm’s reach away was a soft inviting lounge chair. The stranger took her into his arms lifting her out of her dress and carried her to it laying her gently across the soft fabric.
“Oh, my love, will you make me beg, every inch of my body aches for your touch, your mouth, every nerve is electrified” Artemus said in a sexy and inviting tone.
“Before this night is finished, my dear Artemus, you will indeed beg me for many things; hush now.”
And he kissed her again full on her mouth, his tongue snaking its way inside devouring her lips while he loosened the tie on her wrists, just enough to free one of them. Placing her arms above her head, he secured them once again, this time to the frame of the lounge where she lay. Artemus gasped, the metal was cold against her flushed skin: every inch of her flesh aflame with desire.
He wasted no time, once she was secured to the lounge, his hands moving, touching her, tracing her every curve with his fingers, rolling her now hard nipples between his thumb and fingers, a moan of pleasure escaped her. “Yes! More” she could barely speak let alone ask for what she wanted.
His hands grazing over the edges of her lace panties finding her moistness, he smoothly parts her thighs, kissing her belly, teasing her as he ran his fingers from her ankles to the apex of her legs. Then, placing a gentle kiss on the lace that separated his lips from her most private places, he removed her panties dropping them to the floor beside her.
“Open yourself to me Artemus” he said in a tone that was not to be ignored.
She did, parting her thighs and offering herself fully to him. “What do you want Artemus? You must tell me what it is that you want” taking his finger and lightly grazing her swollen clit. “Tell me, what do you want?” again he asked of her.
Her breath ragged “I, … I want you to touch me, now.”
“Like this?” and again he lightly grazed her clit with his finger, “Or like this?” he asked as and bent down licking her wetness, teasing her with the tip of his tongue. She gasped and arched herself toward his mouth. He pulled back stopping what he was doing. Then once again in a more stern voice he demanded, “What ...do ...you ...want, Artemus?”
“Please… I ...I” she drew in a breath, panting “ I want you to take me, to consume me, in every way possible, Please ….more, I want more!” She was pulling at the restraints on her wrists and opening herself to him, completely exposed, vulnerable and wanting. He stood up and all she could hear was the sound of him walking to the end of the lounge. And for a moment she thought he would leave her there.
Breathless she called out to him “Wait, Please, I want to feel you, your mouth on me, your own hardness inside me; I want you. Please, don’t leave me.”
“My dear, I have no intention of leaving you, I have just begun to please you.” as he spoke he came closer to her with each word.
Artemus could feel him standing above her next to the lounge, then she heard him unzip his pants. They fell to the floor in a soft ‘whoosh’; he sat next to her, she could feel his arousal pulsing against her thigh.
“Oh, god, I want you, I want to feel your mouth consume me, and your hardness fill me.” throaty, ragged and wanting, were her words.
His mouth danced across her breasts biting her nipples and the smooth skin of her belly, his hand parting her wet folds, slipping his fingers into her. A moan of sheer delight and pleasure escaped her mouth.
“Is this what you want?” he again demands of her.
“Yes, yes I want it, I want it all, I want you to fuck me, take me, I can wait no longer, Please!” she tells him what he wants to hear and he smiles broadly, though she still can’t see him.
“No, you are not ready yet my dear, but I will show you what you will get when you are ready, when you really want me, when you beg me.”
He positions himself between her legs and teases her with is hard member, entering her just enough for her to feel his own desire, his hardness. Artemus arches her back trying to force him further into her, he backs away slightly then slowly he pushes into her till he is fully inside her moistness, her walls pulsing around him, he withdraws and again slowly he enters her to his full length. Her legs trembling, arms pulling for freedom from her restraints.
He pulls out of her, then leans in to taste her nectar, his mouth licking, nibbling, sucking on her swollen clit, she writhes beneath him in sheer pleasure, ragged breaths come in spurts.
“Please” she gasps once again
“Please what? Artemus, what is it you want; tell me!” he commands her.
Artemus tries to catch her breath long enough to talk.
“Please, fuck me! Please, make me cum, Fuck me! Do you hear me, that is what I want ...to feel you inside me ...I want you to fuck me! Please!, please fuck me! Fuck me now!” she finally begs him, tells him what he needs to hear.
He licks her again, this time faster, then he takes his thumb and rubs her clit while he inserts his fingers in her wetness; her walls clinch around them, he stops.
“No! No don’t stop please don’t stop!” again she begs him.
“No, Artemus, I will not stop” he whispers in to her ear as he moves on top of her pushing himself between her legs.
“I will fuck you; I will fuck you till you beg me to stop fucking you, and then I will fuck you some more. ” He thrust himself into her wet and wanting pussy hard and deep, a loud cry falls from her parched throat.
Holding her knees apart so she can take him deeper inside her, again and again he slides in and out of her wetness. Slowly at first, her back arched into his every forward move, her legs still trembling, her walls constricting around him, then faster and harder as she cums in waves of pleasure, moaning and panting breaths.
When she is finished, again he enters her, in a frenzy of lust, he feels his own release near, faster, harder, and he enters her forcing his full length into her again and again. Finally, shuddering, she cums again and he spills himself deep inside her, as he cums. He hears her “Yes! Yes! More, fuck me more, yes!” and they collapse fully spent.
He unties her from the silk restraints still leaving the blindfold in place.
Artemus quietly lay there beneath him. Trying to calm the still stormy breaths and spasms as her body shakes uncontrolled with his. When she reaches to remove the cloth from her eyes, again he stops her.
“No, you must not take that off, not until I tell you to. You are mine, you belong to me and will do as I bid you, Artemus. Do you understand?”
“I understand, and I will obey your every command, my love. I am yours to do with as you will, yes.”
“Now, I will get dressed, and you will lay there beautiful, for me to watch as I do.”
Artemus did as she was told to do, she quietly lay there on the lounge, blindfold still in place. She could faintly hear the orchestra still playing, and wondered just how long they had been out on that balcony. She heard footfalls and felt the softness of her dress being laid next to her and her lace panties returned to their proper place. Still she lay there in complete obedience and in a euphoric haze from the experience.
“My love, you did indeed give me a night not soon forgotten, never forgotten. Thank you.”
“Artemus, you are stunning, beautiful and beyond description, you are most welcome, if I have pleased you then I am indeed happy. Your masque and your dress are beside you. One day soon we will find each other and live this moment again.” He turned and left.
Artemus could hear the steps were getting farther away with each word, she reached to remove the blindfold, but just as she took it off she saw he had disappeared back into the castle. Stunned and now a bit shaken, Artemus dressed quickly. Carrying her masque she went back inside cleaned up a bit and returned to the ball, looking for the mysterious stranger that had disappeared as quietly as he had come.
She was talking to a few of her friends and still wondering where Andre had gone, for she was certain it was he that had seduced her. It could be no other; as she looked about the room she was kissed on the cheek. She turned and there stood Andre. But he was not in his tux and he was talking.
“Artemus, I am so sorry I am so late but it could not be helped. One of father’s clients needed my assistance. Please say you are not angry with me, and I will not leave your side for the remainder of the evening.”
Artemus just looked at him, in total disbelief. “You, you are just now arriving Andre? All this time and just now?” she was confused and trying to collect her thoughts.
“Yes, my love and truly I am so very sorry, please forgive me.”
His lilting brogue and piercing blue eyes unmistakable, yes this was Andre, my god then who, ….who was I …with, ...who is it that owns me body and soul?” she thought to herself. Confused and yet delighted at the evening’s turn of events, Artemus looked at Andre. “Yes ...Yes, of course you are forgiven, more than forgiven. Not to worry, all has been well in your absence Andre.”
“Then, shall we dance my dear?”
“Yes, let’s dance.”
Artemus was distracted; she kept looking at the others on the floor and around the room. No one had their masques on now; she had no idea who the stranger was or how to find him, remembering his last words to her, “One day soon we will find each other and live this moment again.” She was sure he would find her, but when, where would that be? He was all about which she could think. The music ended and Andre led her off the dance floor, where she then excused herself to go to the ladies room.
Walking down the long hall towards the powder room, away from the crowd and the music, her thoughts were not of the man waiting for her, the man she had thought she loved, but they were of a stranger that had taken her to a place she never knew existed, given her pleasure she did not know could be had. A stranger that now consumed her thoughts, she had pledged herself to him: he owned her. Artemus only thought now was when he would come to lay claim to her again.
After she had finished, she went back up to the rooftop where her gargoyle companions waited and where she could think in silence. The moon still full, it illuminated her delicate features as she stepped out of the castle’s walls onto the terrace that over looked the valley below.
A moment later she felt a hand on her shoulder, thinking Andre had come to see where she was, when she tried to turn and talk to him she found that she was held fast within his muscular embrace and could not turn.
And he softly whispered in to her ear. “Just remember, you are mine”
His voice was heady and unmistakable; then a single piece of silk cloth was laid over her shoulder. Artemus knees grew weak, he leaned her against one of the gargoyle, and she grasped it for support, before she could turn and see him he was gone once again into the shadows of the night.
Artemus was left there, on that rooftop, thinking of this man she did not know to whom she had given herself completely and uninhibitedly. It was the single most freeing experience she ever had. “Truly this is a night I’ll not soon, if ever, I forget,” she thought. It is the night I found and gave myself fully to another without thought, regret or expectation. I know now that I can never settle for less from any man, nor from myself.
